Avoiding Back Pain Through Awareness and Proactive Means

A healthy spine requires preventative measures to avoid back and neck injuries. Here are some proactive ways to protect yourself.

Eight Great Tips for Back Pain Prevention

Stretch and Warm-up Your Back – Warming up your back, neck, arms and legs can help with flexibility. It may seem silly, especially if you are at work, but take a minute to stretch and warm up your muscles if you are about to perform heavy-lifting activities. It may look like a small thing to move a desk, but if you don’t warm up, you could pull a muscle and stress your spine.

Lift with Caution – Lifting can be strenuous on your back. In order to spare your back, legs and neck from possible injury, bend your knees, tighten your abs, and bring the object you are lifting close to your body while you are lifting.

Avoid the Twist (unless you are dancing, of course) – Avoid any type of twisting motion when you are performing tasks such as, lifting, cleaning the house, and/or gardening. Even a simple act of picking up something off the floor can result in a strained back if you aren’t careful. Now, if you are planning to dance “The Twist,” by all means, shake your thing, but please, take it easy for best results.

Strong Stomach Equals Strong Back – You may not have the abs that you had when you were twenty years old, but you can at least have healthy abs in order to help prevent future back issues. Think of it this way: Your stomach and back share a common space. The healthier and stronger your stomach and back feel, the more likely you will avoid back and neck pain in the future.

Don’t Sit for Too Long – Sitting all day long can prolong pressure on your back, which can eventually cause problems. Too much compression to your spine can lead to disk related injuries, posture problems and neck issues. Don’t forget to stand up, stretch, walk around the room and smile several times a day while you are at work or home. (A smile is an essential healthy tip.)

Watch Your Weight – Watching your weight can help you stay proactive in avoiding spine related problems during your life. Find a nutritional program that will enhance your life, and provide a daily balance of protein, leafy vegetables and multi-grains.

Did You Exercise Today? – A healthy routine of working out at the gym, in yoga class, pilates, or simply walking around the local mall will help keep you fit. Grab a friend or two, if you need help with motivation.

How Many Glasses of Water Have You Had? – Drinking at least 12 glasses of water a day helps hydrate your body all day long, which will help you avoid spine related problems. Our bodies need water and drinking plenty of water means our bodies will have fluidity. Fluidity means healthy intervertebral disks that can absorb shocks to the system. So drink up!